Time bomb injures PLOTE cadre

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]A timed explosive devise went off around 12 this noon in a tree under which the PLOTE has a forward sentry point at Vavunathivu, five kilometers north west of Batticaloa town, injuring a PLOTE cadre identified as Tharmalingam Asokan, 21 of Vavuniya. The PLOTE maintains a sentry point ahead of the army's last checkpoint near the Vavunathivu main camp.

Civilians from the LTTE controlled areas ahead are 'taxed' in cash or in kind regularly at this point - particularly during the paddy harvest season.

The PLOTE occupies this position under a lone tree by the access road to the Valaiyiravu bridge which links the Tiger controlled Paduvankarai region to the northern outskirts of the Batticaloa town.

The SLA camp is situated by the entrance to the bridge on the western shore of the lagoon in Vavunathivu.

PLOTE cadres man this sentry point during the day. They routinely check the spot when they return in the morning to occupy the sentry post.

PLOTE sources in Batticaloa said that the timed explosive devise had been expertly camouflaged.